A Close Encounter
by tag.0
Summary: Dreams, Memories & Truths 2. Liam encounters a woman who seems strangely familiar while searching for Sandoval's present.


**"A Close Encounter"**  
by tag

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Earth: Final Conflict is copyright © Tribune Entertainment and Roddenberry/Kirschner. No infringement of that copyright is intended by this story.  
"A Close Encounter" is copyright © 2000, tag.

* * *

Alison McPherson looked up as the bell over the door rang and someone came into the shop. Walking around the end of the bookshelf she'd been cleaning, she saw a tall young man standing in the entrance, looking around curiously.

She took a minute to study him before she approached; caution was a way of life for her now.

His casual clothes, leather jacket, and spiky hairstyle suggested that he was a student at the University - but Ali didn't think so. Something about his stance, the way his eyes were flicking around the store... the familiar mannerisms suggested that he was military, or law enforcement.

Her lips tightened slightly. _He's just here to buy a book,_ she tried to reassure herself, but her wariness doubled. She would have to be careful.

_And the best way to be careful is not to let him realize you're nervous,_ a voice whispered in the back of her mind; a familiar voice with familiar advice. _Never show fear - fear means you have something to hide._

Approaching him, she asked, "Can I help you?"

* * *

Liam whirled around, surprised by the quiet question. He hadn't realized that anyone was nearby.

Standing by one of the aisles was a short, slender woman with straight auburn hair. She smiled at him and repeated her question. "Can I help you with something?"

"I... hope so," Liam replied.

"What are you looking for?" the woman asked.

"A birthday present," Liam said. "It's for... ah... a colleague of mine. His birthday's in a few days, and I'm trying to find something appropriate."

"Well, did you have anything particular in mind?" the woman asked. "Or would you just like to browse?"

Liam hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he wanted to go through with this. He already had a present for Sandoval - well, two, if he was to count the surprise he'd been working on - did he really want to add another, very expensive one? Not that he didn't have the money available - his salary as Da'an's Protector was very generous, and he didn't need much - but Sandoval would surely wonder why he had gone to so much trouble.

Then again... Sandoval hadn't been in a good mood for several days, not since the Eli Hanson interview, and this would help cheer him up. And if it made him wonder... well, they were - Liam hoped - starting to become friends. And friends did nice things for each other.

"Actually, I called a few days ago, and the manager said that you had several first editions of Charles Dickens' books," Liam said finally. "My colleague loves Dickens' work, and I was hoping to find something he didn't have yet."

* * *

Ali studied the young man carefully for a moment. "Yes, we do," she admitted. "But they're all very expensive, Mr..."

"Kincaid," the man replied. "Major Liam Kincaid."

It took an enormous effort of will to keep the shock off her face. Major Liam Kincaid... the Companion-Protector? What was a Companion-Protector doing _here_?

_Don't panic. There is nothing to worry about. They don't even know you're alive; the Liberation and Boone took care of that. He's just here to buy a book, that's all._

She forced a smile. "Alison McPherson. You're a Companion-Protector?"

He smiled back at her, but his smile was genuine. "That's right. So, do I get to see the books?"

"Of course. If you'll follow me, please?"

Ali led him to the back of the shop, where they kept the books waiting to be shelved. Janine, the manager, had picked up the Dickens' first editions in an estate sale over a month ago, and they'd been sitting here ever since; neither of them had even had a chance to catalogue them yet. On top of the box was a scribbled note; picking it up, Ali saw that it listed the prices for each of the books. Janine had probably written it out as soon as she'd gotten Major Kincaid's call.

"Which ones do you have?" the Major asked eagerly.

Glancing down the list, Ali read off the titles. "A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, _two_ copies of The Old Curiosity Shop - Mr. Edgar must have liked that one - Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol."

"Can I see the Oliver Twist?" Major Kincaid asked.

Opening the box, Ali carefully lifted it out and handed it to him. She was impressed at the care with which he handled it... and surprised, as she suddenly noticed that he didn't have a skrill. She'd thought that _all_ Companion-Protectors had to have skrills... even Boone, who'd been Liberation, had had one. So why didn't Major Kincaid?

She looked at the young man again, and was struck by a sudden feeling of familiarity as she watched him carefully flip through the pages. It reminded her painfully of Ron. He'd treated his books - old or new - with exactly the same care.

Pushing the memories aside, Ali forced herself to concentrate on the present. "Do you like it?" she asked, her voice a touch hoarse with the effort of fighting back tears.

Major Kincaid smiled at her again. "It's perfect; and he doesn't have this one yet - not in a first edition, anyway. I'll take it."

"It's quite expensive," Ali warned him again.

The Major shrugged. "It doesn't matter; I can afford it."

Ali lifted one eyebrow in surprise. "Must be some colleague," she commented.

A peculiar look crossed Major Kincaid's face for a moment, and then disappeared. "You could say that," he replied.

"Is there anything else you're interested in?"

The Major shook his head. "Not at the moment, at least," he added as he followed her back into the shop proper.

After putting the purchase through, Ali carefully wrapped the book up and handed it to him. "I hope your colleague enjoys this," she said.

"He will," the Major assured her as he turned to go.

"Major," Ali called, just before he walked out. He turned to face her. "Please come again." She wanted to learn more about him, this Protector without a skrill; he reminded her so much of Ron, before the implantation, although she couldn't have said why. It would be dangerous, yes... but not that dangerous. After all, they believed she was dead.

He nodded and slipped out the door.

* * *

Liam paused as soon as he left the store and turned around, looking up at the sign. 'Ye Olde Booke Shoppe' it said, in carefully drawn Gothic letters.

He'd never been here before; never been to this part of Vancouver before. And neither had Sandoval or Beckett.

_So why did Ms. McPherson seem so familiar? I don't recognize her name - not even her first one - but I know her. Or Sandoval did._ He frowned. It wasn't really anything he could define - her appearance was certainly _un_familiar; but something about her had resonated with the memories he had from his human father. He just wasn't sure what it was - or which memories.

_I'll figure it out, sooner or later,_ he decided after a moment. _I can always come back here. There's no hurry._

After all, it couldn't be _that_ important.


End file.
